Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a British diplomat in Tehran following the arrest of several Iranian nationals in the United Kingdom on espionage charges, state media reported on Monday.
"Following the unjustified arrest of a number of Iranian nationals in the UK... the British charge d'affaires in Tehran was summoned on Sunday," Iran's IRNA news agency said.
Right after the arrest in early May, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi firmly denied any Iranian involvement in the alleged plot targeting the Israeli embassy in London, describing media reports as suspicious. He urged the British government to cooperate in a transparent investigation and warned of the possibility of third-party false-flag operations aimed at damaging Iran–UK relations.
Earlier this month, British police arrested seven Iranian nationals in two separate operations, which the interior minister described as among the most significant investigations of their kind in recent years.
The three men have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between August 14, 2024, and February 16, 2025, police said, adding that the foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran.
The charges come at a time of intense scrutiny of suspected Iran-backed activities in Britain.
Interior minister Yvette Cooper said Britain would take "separate action" to address the serious issues raised by the case of the three men.
"Iran must be held to account for its actions," she said in a statement. "We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil."
Police said in a separate statement later on Saturday that four other men arrested as part of the counter-terrorism operation had been released from custody but the investigation was still open.
"We made these arrests due to concerns about a suspected plot to target a specific premises," the statement said, adding that they continued to provide the premises with support.
"Our investigation remains active and is ongoing."
The eighth man was released without charge on Thursday.
Britain's domestic spy chief Ken McCallum said last year that officers had responded since 2022 to 20 Tehran-backed plots that potentially posed lethal threats to UK citizens and residents.
The three men charged - Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55 - were remanded in custody and will appear at a preliminary hearing at the central criminal court on June 6.
The court on Saturday heard allegations that the three men had targeted Britain-based journalists connected with Iran International, a broadcaster which is critical of the Iranian government.
Sepahvand was also charged with surveillance and intending to commit serious violence against a person in Britain, while Manesh and Noori were charged with surveillance and the intention that serious violent acts would be committed by others.
The men arrived by irregular means, the government said, including via small boats across the Channel between 2016 and 2022.
The British government has placed Iran on the highest tier of its foreign influence register, requiring Tehran to register everything it does to exert political influence in the UK.
Iran will continue to enrich uranium regardless of whether a new nuclear agreement is reached with the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday in a statement on social media platform X.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a British diplomat in Tehran following the arrest of several Iranian nationals in the United Kingdom on espionage charges, state media reported on Monday.
Nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. hit a deadlock as Tehran rejects demands to stop uranium enrichment, insisting its program is peaceful. The U.S. says any deal must prevent nuclear weapons development.
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Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, covering trade, investment, culture, and global challenges. Both sides signed a Cooperation Program for 2025-2026 to deepen their partnership.
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Iran will continue to enrich uranium regardless of whether a new nuclear agreement is reached with the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday in a statement on social media platform X.
Finland has been selected as one of the countries implementing European Union measures to supply Ukraine with defence materials, using funds from frozen Russian assets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, covering trade, investment, culture, and global challenges. Both sides signed a Cooperation Program for 2025-2026 to deepen their partnership.
Iran will continue to enrich uranium regardless of whether a new nuclear agreement is reached with the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday in a statement on social media platform X.
The Tazhen border checkpoint on the Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan border will remain closed for an additional four months, until September 1, 2025, according to Kazakhstan’s State Revenue Committee (KDG) of the Ministry of Finance.
Azerbaijan and Israel have reaffirmed their strong bilateral ties as Defense Ministers Zakir Hasanov and Israel Katz met in Tel Aviv to discuss enhanced security cooperation and mutual strategic interests.
Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, covering trade, investment, culture, and global challenges. Both sides signed a Cooperation Program for 2025-2026 to deepen their partnership.
The UK and the European Union have reached their most significant post-Brexit agreement yet, resetting trade and defence ties amid rising global instability and U.S. President Donald Trump’s disruption of the global order.
EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 20th May. The upcoming Foreign Affairs Council will be chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.
Iran will continue to enrich uranium regardless of whether a new nuclear agreement is reached with the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday in a statement on social media platform X.
Finland has been selected as one of the countries implementing European Union measures to supply Ukraine with defence materials, using funds from frozen Russian assets.
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